Baker's decision to join NBC could give Obama two more appointments to make to the FCC. |
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Despite some carping, Baker got generally high marks for her service at the commission.

"With a winning combination of integrity, intellect and experience, Meredith Baker will be a key player for NBCUniversal, and I know that her in-depth knowledge of broadcast issues, deep understanding of the D.C. landscape and strong leadership abilities will make her an important resource for the entire broadcast industry," said National Association of Broadcasters President and CEO Gordon Smith.

Baker was nominated by President Barack Obama as a member of the FCC on June 25, 2009, and was sworn in on July 31, 2009.

She previously served as acting assistant secretary of Commerce for communications and information and acting administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. The NTIA is the president's principal adviser on telecommunications and information policy.

Baker was named deputy assistant secretary in February 2007. She first joined NTIA as a senior adviser in January 2004.

Baker, a Texan, is a member of a well-known Republican political family as she is married to the son of former President Ronald Reagan’s chief of staff James Baker.

Her decision could give Obama two more appointments to make to the commission. Commissioner Michael Copps’s term expired in 2010, but he can serve until the end of this congressional session.

Baker’s term ends this year, but she could have served until the end of the next session of Congress. That could create political problems as appointments are seldom made in an election year. The commission, by law, must have two members who are not of the same party as the sitting president. The FCC is currently made up of three Democrats and two Republicans.

Jessica Rosenworcel, the Senate Commerce Committee’s senior communications counsel, is the most often mentioned name to fill Copps’s slot on the commission.

CORRECTION: In earlier versions of this article, Baker’s family connections were misidentified. She is married to the son of James Baker, the former White House chief of staff.

This article first appeared on POLITICO Pro at 2:45 p.m. on May 11, 2011.